Trench-forming machine



T. K WHITE.

TRENCH FORMING MACHINE.

APP'LICATlON FILED MAILZZ, I92 0I Patented. June 13, 1922.

5 SHEETS SHEET 1.

N Q QN wiweoo T. K. WHITE.

TRENCH FORMING MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR-22,1920.

Patented. June 13, 1922.

Witmmo T. K. WHITE.

TRENCH FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MARMZZ, 1920.

\w 2 w a \N \w o m. w on o 6 a O a We no no 0 km p n Wm a v a LMQASQ T. K. WHXTE. TRENCH FORMING MACHINE. APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 22. 1920.

Patented June 13 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T. K. WHITE.

NCH FORMING MACHWE.

TRE

\ APPLICATION FlLEjD MAR 22, I920. 1A19A8h Patented June 13, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

and. useful Trench-Forming To all concern:

r e e a em a 'rn omes "nmtnnnr wnrrrnor arena time, some neurone.

- reason-romaine macrrrn'n l intense,

Be it lmown that l, Tno As K. Wrrrrn, a citizen of-the United States residing at Sioux Fall s,-in the county of innehaha and State of South Dakota, have invented a new Machine, of whichthe' following is a specification.

This intention relates toexcavating machines, and more particularly to machines especially adapted for foing trenches, ditches and the like.

The .p

, ary obqect of the invention is toprovide a machine of this character having an adjustable boom, constructed in a mer to'be moved to assume various angles, to facilitate the digging operation of the machine in the construction of trenches of various-depths. v

A; further object of the invention is to provide an endless chain of scoops adapted to automatically dump the contents thereof, whenthe scoops have assumed a predetermined position. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view which. will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of paws and in the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the'preoise embodi ment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the. scope of what is claimed,

' present invention;

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings a Figure '1 illustrates a plan view of a .machine constructed in accordance with the Figure 2 illustrates a side elevational view of the same, the boom being shown in a po sition to the limit of one of its adjustments; Figure 3 illustrates a side elevational view of the machine, the boom being shown as in its inoperative position;

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional detail view of the boom, and its operating shaft; and

Figure 5'1llustratcs a plan view of one of the scoops, the same being shown partly in section:

Referring to the drawingsin detail, the machine is shown as includmg the side bars 5 which are arranged in parallel relation with each other, and-form a part of the frame of the machine for supporting the power fgenerating means at the forward end thereo which power'generating means is specification of Letters Patent.

'jacent their rear ends.

bustion engine controlled by the usual clutch mechan1sm,. there being means provided whereby the engine may be connected with the mechanism of the machine for operating the endless chain of scoops, or' may be clutched with the drivin wheels 6, over which operate the cater-p1 lar drive 7, for,

propellin the machine over the ground surface on w 10h the device is to operate.

-Depend1n bracket members 8 and. 9-are secured tot e side bars 5 and support the p Patented June is, tease-1 Application; filed March at, 1920. serial No. 36?,979. I a

preferably in the-'iorm of an internal aim,

parallel relation with the bars 5 and bear the weight of the machine. Between the bars is supported the operating shaft which opcrates the drive wheels .6, through suitable difierential mecha'nisnnnot shown.

-Extending transversely'of the machine, and connecting the sidebars 5 is a. brace beam 13, which is disposed in a position be tween the rear ends o-fthe side bars 5 and i the forward drive wheel 6, for thepurpose' of supporting the frame of the machine.

An auxiliary frame is provided on the side bars 5, and includes spaced bars .14 which have connection with the vertical bars 15, at

the ends thereof, the opposite ends of the bars 14 having connection with the side bars 5, in avmanner to brace the vertical bars 15,

while the parallel bracing bars 16 also have 1 connection with the vertical bars 15 adjacent the upper ends thereof, the lower ends of said bars 16 connect with the side bars 5 ad- A relatively small platform 17 connects the side bars 5 and provides asupport for 18 are pivoted. gear wheel 20 whichmay he slid on shaft 19, into or out of mesh with the worm on shaft 11, for transmitting motion from worm 21 to sprocket wheel 22 keyed to shaft 19,- for causing the operation of the scoops. The outer ends of the arms 18 are pivoted around shaft 23 on suitable brackets, whicharms 18 hold thecshaift 23 a predetermined distance from the shaft 19 and in parallel relation therewith, regardless of the posi-- tion of the boom.

Pivotally supported within the bracket members 27, are the arms 28, the outer on .shaft 19, around which one end of the arms This shaft 19 carries worm ztremi-ties of which have connection with the with guide blocks 'same to be moved longitudilnall guideway 30, to accompllsh the a justment T of the boom.

- the wheel 40 causes a relative movement of The adjustable boom includes a pair of' relatively long arms 32 and a rack bar 33 secured between the arms 32 by means of the bolts 34, and as shown, the teeth of this Wheel 35 supported on the shaft 36, which is alsofsupp'orted by the guide-way 30, the shaft being provided with a p1n1on 37 1n mesh with t of the rod 39 so that rotary movement of that the same may pivot on the shaft 23 to permit the arms 18 to be moved downwardly to assume a position inparallel relation with the arms 28, to permit the boom to be moved to a position at right angles to the body of the machine so that the scoops, to

I be hereinafter more fully described, may

operate to remove earth to form a trench.

Provided at the free end of the boom, is a shaft 41, on which are supported the gear wheels 42, which gear wheels 42 accommo-- date the endless chains 43, which endless chains operate over the gear wheels 24 and gear wheels 42 in parallel relation with each other and in a manner to hold the chains rigid, at all times, however an idler 44 isprovided for contacting with the inner surfaces of the chains 43, to prevent the chains from sagging under the weight of the material being lifted.

From the foregoing it will be seen that movement is transmitted to the endless chain 43 through the shaft 23 and sprocket wheels 24, which shaft receives motion through the chain 26 that operates over the sprocket wheel 25.

Pivoted scoops 45 are supported by the endless chains 43 and each of these scoops includes a curved body portion and spaced arms 46, which arms are connected to the respective scoops adjacent the cutting edge thereof, so that the scoops will closely engage the chains on the upward movements thereof, thus eliminating the possibility of material falling from the scoops before the e worm 38 provided on the" lower extremityof the operating rod 39, an. operating wheel 40 being secured to one endreiaeso same have' reached their depositing positions.

- Carried by the endless chains 43, are the I relatively wide plates 47, which plates 47 tween the endless chains 43.

A receiving platform 48 is also supported bythe boom, in a position adjacent the upper end-thereof, which platform is espe-' cially designed to receive the material ex-' rack bar33 are in engagement with the gear eavated by the machine, and as shown, the

boom is a scraper 50 which is of a size to properly fit within the scoops, and as shown .this scraper 5O lies in a position to engage within the scoops when the same have been moved to their discharging positions, thereby insuring the emptying of the scoops, before the same are moved a ainst their digging positions. lit will also e seen that due'to the angular construction of the rear walls of the scoops, the scraper 50 came the rear portions of the scoops, outward1y and away from the endless chains which support the same, to further insure the dumping of the scoops.

In operation, the machine is I moved to a proper position within the field in which the same is to form a trench, the wheel 40 is now operated to move'the boom to the proper angle to form a trench of a predetermined depth. The clutch mechanism is moved to cause the operation'of the chains 43 to the end that the cutting edges 51 of the scoops embed themselves in the soil under operation, and dislodge the soil, carrying the same upwardly and depositing the soil on the receiving platform.

It will of course be-understood that the I machine, -while accomplishing the digging operation is moved at a predetermined speed over the ground surface to permit the scoops to accomplish the digging operation.

What is claimed as new is a 1. In 'an excavating machine, a main frame, a boom supported by the frame, means for adjusting the boom with respect to the frame, to cause the same to'operate at various angles, an endless chain of buckets operating over the boom, said buckets adapted to pivot with respect to the chain supporting the same, a scraping element adapted to pass through the buckets to remove material carried thereby, and means for operating the chain to cause the buckets to pick up material.

2. In an excavating machine, a main frame, a boom supported by the frame, said boom includin a rack bar, a block, guideways carried y the block and adapted. to

embrace opposite sides of the boom, means ing the gear, said gear being in mesh with for adjusting the block, a gear Wheel supthe rack bar to move the boom, and an endported by the block, said gear wheel beless chain of buckets carried by the boom. ing in meshwith the rack bar to move the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 boom, and an endless chain of pivoted my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature buckeIts carried by the boon]; in the presence of two witnesses.

3. 11 an excavatin mac ine, a frame, a swinging boom suppoited by the frame, said THOMAS KENNEDY boom including a centrally disposed rack Witnesses: bar, adjustable means supported by the rack FRANCES TORMEY, bar and carrying a gear, means for operat- ROSALIE MUNDT. 

